Matthew Rages On

With heavy rains and sustained winds of 120 mph and gusts reaching up to 150 mph, Hurricane Matthew is bearing down on the coast of Florida.

The deadly storm is moving north-northwest and is about 35 miles from Cape Canaveral (45 miles from Daytona Beach). Matthew is reportedly responsible for more than 330 deaths in Haiti alone.

According to the US National Hurricane Center, hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the centre, and although it should weaken during the next 48 hours, Matthew is expected to be a Category 3 hurricane as it moves up the coast of Florida. Flooding has occurred and many in Florida are currently without power.

According to reports, US president Barack Obama has signed an emergency declaration for 28 Florida coastal counties in Matthew’s path, freeing federal resources for disaster relief and recovery efforts.

More than 1.5 million Floridians living along the coast and in vulnerable low-lying areas, and another half million residents of Georgia and South Carolina, were ordered to evacuate ahead of the storm’s arrival.

Hurricane Matthew is on a path towards Georgia and the South Carolina coast and expected to hit later today (Oct. 7) and into Saturday.

The storm has forced cruise lines to alter itineraries and saw both Walt Disney World and Universal close early yesterday. They will remain closed today.